‘Fallas’ is the most important celebration in my city, Valencia, and seeing that many foreigners come to Valencia in Fallas (15-19 March) I was wondering if anyone in this forum knows what Fallas are or has even been in Valencia in Fallas. Here some pics I’ve taken in different years, in case someone is interested.

http://es.photos.yahoo.com/bc/crisl1999/lst?.dir=/Fallas&.view=t

MS

Feb 26th, 2002, 07:36 AM

successful thread ;)

per4ever

Feb 26th, 2002, 07:45 AM

What is it for? Why? and what happens exactly?

Jorn

Feb 26th, 2002, 11:22 AM

I have never heard about Fallas, but would like to goto Valencia ;)

Jorn

Feb 26th, 2002, 11:44 AM

I have just seen the pics, but can't see whats going on :confused:

It look like what we in Denmark call 'Fastelavn'

Eller mest en udstilling af polske 'jule nisser' ;)

(I can't write/spell that in English, sorry)

someone know how to spell 'polske jule nisser' in English? ;)

MS

Feb 26th, 2002, 12:27 PM

LOL, anything is going on...

The thing is that they set monuments (don't really know how to explain the materials in English, but among other things they have would, paper, cartoon...) and these monuments are quite satiric, they have scenes (in many cases) criticising some local (or national) political or whatever 'affairs'. These monuments are on the streets (in the city of Valencia and in other vilages near Valencia) so that people can see them (there are many monuments, some good, and the rest of them are much smaller, and the quality is much poorer). So, there's a competition, and there's a ranking of Fallas in each category.

Later, on 19th March, all these Fallas are burned (many people outside Valencia criticise that, but...what would be the Fallas if they weren't burned later? ;)). It's supposed to symbolise that the bad things that had happened during the year 'disappear' with the fire ;) (btw, the pronunciation of Falla is very similar to the pronunciation of fire).

Appart from this, there are other things: the offer of flowers to the Virgin (where falleros (people with regional clothes..) bring flowers), music concerts, and my fave thing...mascletà, that's lot's of 'firecrackers' (they are called masclets) exploding together, and they make BIG noise, and this is at 14 everyday from 1st March till 19 March; there are also fireworks...

Well, it's being tiring to explain all this, lol

Jorn

Feb 26th, 2002, 03:48 PM

C, It should like the carnival in Germany,
even I don't think they burn the monuments... ;)

But still, I have never heard about that before...

I wonder, don't you have many local holidays in Valencia? ;)

anabel

Feb 26th, 2002, 07:02 PM

I have not had chance to see them live, just on TV, i would like one day... :)

Gallofa

Feb 26th, 2002, 07:07 PM

Already celebrating, Cris? ;)

I wonder if we could get a ninot of... hmmm... say, Billie Jean King... of course it couldn't be the one saved! :D ;)

MS

Feb 27th, 2002, 12:29 PM

Bea, be sure that I'll take a pic if there's one ninot of BJK, but I'm afraid they aren't too interested in tennis ;) ( I think I've never seen a ninot related to tennis...why not this year? ;))

I'm not already celebrating it, I just remembered that the 'mascletaes' wil begin next Friday and I'll be able to hear it from work (I work near the place) but won't be able to go...(argghhh, I won't dare to ask my boss to leave for some minutes, lol ;))

J. you asked about holidays...Well, during Fallas we don't have holidays here, just the 19th of March, the rest of the days we have a special timetable, that means we work from 9-14, I think. Well, we are 'allowed' to change it and go from 8.45-13.45 and leave for the mascletà ;). Although someone has told me today that we might have holiday on 18th March this year...I hope it's not just rumours! :p

Gallofa

Feb 27th, 2002, 01:29 PM

Hehehe, this reminds me of "San Isidro" :D - in Madrid during that week, we get the reduced timetable too so that we can go to see the bullfighting! lol

Barbaric traditions we have, huh? tells you something about Spanish people... burning up things, cheering on bullfighters... did you hear about that village where the tradition was to throw a goat from the top of the church tower? and then someone from some animals right association complained and they made them set up a big "colchoneta" so that they could still throw the goat but not kill it... and then apparently the goat went crazy it got so scared due to the fall.

ANYWAY ;) - I hope you get your additional holiday day! ;) lol

Jorn

Feb 27th, 2002, 05:39 PM

You poeple in Spain and Valencia are lucky, here in DK we don't have any local holidays...

The first holiday this year is 28th March (BUT we are lucky, coz not many have a day off, on that day) ;)

Throw a goat from a tower?
poor crazy goat, I also think some ppl is Spain are crazy... j/k ;)

MS

Feb 27th, 2002, 09:17 PM

LOL, Bea, reading what you mention we really seem to be...barbaric ;)

Originally posted by Jorn
Throw a goat from a tower?
poor crazy goat, I also think some ppl is Spain are crazy... j/k ;)

LOL, Jorn, you have here an example of two 'normal' Spanish people, so just imagine how the crazy Spaniards are....p (j/k)

Barrie_Dude

Feb 28th, 2002, 01:44 AM

Well I Believe President Franklin Roosevelt had a dog named Falla back in the 1930's.................

MS

Mar 8th, 2002, 08:02 AM

Hi,

if anyone wants to 'hear/see' a mascletà live (or delayed), I've been told you can do it on:

http://www.fallas.com/

and choose the option on the left: VIDEOS

I've never followed a mascletà in this way, and I suppose it isn't too interesting that way, but just if anyone wants to try at 14 h, till 19 March it's possible

Kuilli

Mar 8th, 2002, 08:19 AM

Wow! I am scared of Spanish people now! :rolleyes: :p

Never heard about Fallas before, but it's always good to learn something new. :D

MS

Mar 8th, 2002, 10:04 AM

Scared?

Don't worry, we are 'pacific' ;)

Kuilli

Mar 8th, 2002, 08:02 PM

Originally posted by MS
Scared?

Don't worry, we are 'pacific' ;)

I was just thinking about Bea trowing BJK from the top of the church tower. Oops, I meant a goat! ;)

But, thanks for the Fallas pics, Cristina! They look really cool! :D

MS

Mar 16th, 2002, 11:13 PM

The winner of the Fallas 2002 has been the Falla of Sueca-Literato Azorín, I would say it has been a surprise, showing that more money doesn't necessarily mean better done things ;)

Here is the pic:

http://www.lasprovincias.es/16_03_2002/16prf9.jpg

BTW, rainy day today, let's hope the weather improves in the following days...

And the winner in the small ones was Duque de Gaeta-Puebla de Farnals, even much more surprising.